


White Chocolate Mocca

by KFlynn



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: AU, Alive Hale Family, Barista Stiles Stilinski, First Date, Fluff, M/M, Model AU, Model Derek, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, werewolves are known
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 10:21:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12933228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KFlynn/pseuds/KFlynn
Summary: To earn some money during summer, Stiles began working at Deaton's café and is by now Lydia's favourite Barista. When she comes in one day, utterly frustrated because she needs another venue for a photo shoot, Stiles offers to help and saves the day. It's even better when he finds out that Derek Hale, his long time crush and protagonist of most of his dreams, comes in the next day as he is the male model for the shoot.This may just be his chance to show Derek how awesome he is. And his Barista-magic might just be perfect for that.





	White Chocolate Mocca

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shinigami714](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinigami714/gifts).



> First of all thanks to Mel for the beta work! You really helped to get rid of some stupid mistakes XD 
> 
> Then: Happy holidays and I hope my giftee likes this story <3 Originally I thought about writing more, adding some paparazzi-drama and more, but then I thought... heck, it's christmas, and it's for a Secret Santa. So I decided to end it where it ended and keep it fluffy and sweet.

The outside world was grey. 

Rain fell against the slightly fogged-up windows of the street shops, restaurants and cafés, all wrapped together into a misty world from a strange, neon-lit dream. It was late afternoon only, but the gloom of the day hadn't lifted; and despite it being a lazy, late summer weekday, the shops seemed suspended in time, mostly empty and quiet enough for music to jingle through the empty streets. 

One of the shopkeepers didn't seem to mind, at least. Stiles was humming along to the tunes of the coffee store radio, gentle music filling the mostly empty shop and keeping him company while he wiped down the counter. His colleague Scott was in the back; his boss was already out for the day. The afternoon rush of college students and hipsters had already let up, and aside from two regulars and a cute teenage couple in the corner nobody kept him company. 

Until the door jingled, and a huffing redhead entered, angrily typing away on her Blackberry.

Stiles knew Lydia Martin well: She was, after all, his old High School crush and good long-time friend who had graduated Beacon Hills High together with him and his ragtag group of friends. She attended a different college than Stiles did by now, but his work as Barista and her part-time job at her mother's modelling agency made them meet up for always the same reasons: incessant craving of caffeine. Especially so on a bad day. 

"Hi!" Lydia said, a little too loud and a lot too angry. She nearly slammed her handbag (Prada, Stiles realized absent-mindedly, and new; he'd never seen it on her, and he would recall such a pink ribbony thing for sure) onto the counter. 

"Get me my regular. Coconut milk. Double - no, triple shot," she brought out between slightly gritted teeth. 

So bad day, indeed.

"Triple?", Stiles asked with a silent whistle before he turned and slowly got to work. He knew what he was doing by now and it actually was a lot of fun. Working here was nice, and he got paid by hours, so it was his choice how much he earned a month. And some days he just didn't feel like working, and instead focused on his studies. Other days, however, he was bored by the easy homework and spent most of the day here in the café or on the field, training for Lacrosse.

He was actually lucky that he still had his room in his father' house. It wasn't too big, but he really loved it. And the Sheriff wasn't home that often either. He was really busy lately, especially after some weird Alpha Pack had decided to run into Beacon Hills.

He still recalled the talk he had had with his Dad that night – the night his fantasy of the Argent Hunters and the Hale Pack working together became a reality. At least for one week.  
As soon as the Alpha Pack had left, they both went their separate ways again though. The Argents were quite a name in the region, being the most successful and oldest family of hunters in all of California. They decided to stay in Beacon Hills, mostly to make sure that the Hale Pack wasn't running wild - a thing they never did. And really, Stiles couldn't imagine them starting anything. The mother and alpha, Talia, owned a magazine, mostly for wolves and wolf-supporters, but she also published a newspaper and was the head of her own modelling agency. The models were mostly werewolves and one of them was Derek Hale, Talia's child and centre of all of Stiles' wet dreams.

And Lydia? Lydia often worked with the Hales as Derek (and sometimes his sister Laura too) was one of their most booked models. And whoa, the photoshoots in their fashion zine were the best of the best. Their events were only visited by the high fashion people and stars. Really high class work. And yeah, once or twice maybe, Lydia had given Stiles an exclusive photo of Derek that wasn’t found in print. Photos which, of course, weren't hidden in his room at all. Never.

He added the third shot and then placed some caramel sprinkles on top before he placed the drink on the counter.

"3,50 please. And what's wrong?"

"Urgh, don't get me started," Lydia groaned, handing him a five-dollar-note and waving a little, forfeiting the change. She took a sip and sighed, a little of the tension bleeding out of her at the first rush of caffeine. 

"The next shooting is a horror. A horror! Nothing, nothing works the way it should. The venue just turned us down and denied all our contracts. The whole plan is bound to fail and it will NOT be my fault!" she added with visible anguish.

Stiles leaned on the counter and made a face.

"Wow, that's horrible. What had you planned?"

"I had this beautiful shooting planned out," Lydia said, almost curling around the coffee cup. "It was all perfect. Next fashion zine. I had the costumes set out already. Talia's son, the requested models, a back-alley place with dark walnut panels and red curtains, like an old bar. Photographers, too, and good ones", she added with a sound awfully close to a growl. 

"But of COURSE this place goes and cancels on us, tells us there's urgent renovations to be done, and that we need to reschedule. We CAN'T reschedule if we want to meet the printing deadline."

"Hmmm...", Stiles hummed and tipped one finger against his chin as he glanced around the café.  
It was totally hipster. Old seats and even older tables. Old, framed, photos on the wall, together with inspirational sayings and poems. Some plants in between and a glass ceiling which let in a lot of natural light.

"I mean, this is an old bar. You can easily add the red curtains.", he mumbled with a slight nod.

"And we - wait, what?" 

Lydia's eyes snapped towards him, narrowing slightly. Stiles had seen this look plenty times over the years - calculating and sharp, almost eerie in her otherwise pretty face. 

"Are you suggesting I have the shooting in here? In your café? ....would your boss even agree to that?"

He shrugged.

"I don't know. We have to ask him. But it's a café and you know some people here. That raises the chances of being able to get it on a short notice."

He flashed her a smile.

"You actually... Stiles, you are a genius!" 

Lydia still stared at him, still looked like it was some kind of magic trick he had pulled on her, but an actual, honest smile crossed her features for the first time since she had entered. 

"This could definitely work. I can see it! This place has style and flair, yes, we can make it work..."

Stiles chuckled and reached for a business card, handing it to her.

"Here's his number. Just call and ask him. No need to be formal. And you can mention me, although he knows who you are anyway."

Stiles got up as the door chimed and two more customers came in. He took their order like the charmer he was. He saw Lydia out of the corner of his eye, stirring her latte as she chatted enthusiastically on the phone. He couldn't hear every word, but things seemed to be going well. 

Not a second later Scott exited the back rooms, a tea towel slung across his neck and flour on his dark jeans. He grinned as they both readied themselves for the afternoon crowd that began to pour in. 

When the worst was done and Stiles had time to sip his own coffee he scanned the shop for Lydia. To his surprise she was still there, sitting comfortably in one of the old leather seats, waving at him to come over.

He blinked slightly, confused, but motioned to Scott that he was taking his break now, before he took off his apron and placed it in the back, and sat down right in front of Lydia only moments later, stretching a bit before he straightened his loose shirt.

"So?"

"Your boss is an angel," she said on a wistful sigh. "And he gave me the okay. Means I will get the boys and girls over tomorrow, have a first look at the place and see what we should decorate and what we need to acquire before the shoot, but... all in all, you saved our little asses with this idea of yours. I could literally kiss you right now," she added with a playful shake of her head, "if I wasn't engaged and you weren't so phenomenally into other people."

He laughed loudly at that.

"Oh please. Jackson would kill me if he'd see me kissing you," he added with a wink.

Jackson. Model and professional Lacrosse player. Part-time-douche and member of the Hale Pack. Scott could have been one as well, but he declined and had rather turned to building his own little pack with Allison, Deaton, and Stiles.

"But hey, that's cool! I'm glad to help! That's a perfect chance to look at how the amazing photos come to be. I can take some behind the scenes photos?"

"And you can keep everyone happy with these amazing lattes of yours," Lydia added sweetly, not really asking. "We pay for all expenses, of course. I will cover this with Deaton on our meet for the shoot details. Urgh, I am already getting excited...!"

"So... I really CAN take photos?", Stiles asked again, somehow not believing his luck right now.

"And uh yeah. I'll be here tomorrow. You just have to tell me when the shoot's going to be then. Right now I'm on summer break, but my Dad wants me to get back into Lacrosse..."

"We still got a couple days til the final shoot - Next Tuesday, But I will be here with the team tomorrow to talk about details." 

She looked at him up and down. 

"You loved playing, didn't you? Not that it was easy with all those werewolves on the team."

"Yeah." ,he said with a groan and ran a hand through his hair. "I sat on the bench most of the time. I was in the game once and I wasn't bad. I actually scored. But Jackson was unbeatable. And then Scott was co-captain. And then Isaac was a werewolf and Danny was always an ace, so nah..."

He shrugged. "I just didn't see any sense in trying professionally.."

...which didn't mean that he wasn't playing anymore. He often played with Scott, as often as he could. And he turned to running and doing more exercise. Not that it showed with his choice of clothes. He looked like the skinny high school nerd. But underneath these layers of fabrics, he got some muscles. His body was toned and he was in a really good shape. Ever since he had turned to a regular Lacrosse training (almost every evening by now), he had improved a lot and even managed to score shots against Scott.

"Sport's not everything, that's for sure," Lydia said with a frown. Her coffee was long empty, cup standing discarded on the desk, almost forgotten. 

"And I'd miss you if you weren't the best barista in town. Where could I get my fix if you had decided to turn yourself into an obnoxious Lacrosse ace like my dear Jackson. Who sends his regards, by the way, even if he doesn't yet know I've met you."

"Hah.", Stiles snickered, rubbing his nose. "Don't forget. This is only part-time. I don't plan on staying here on the long run."

Stiles stretched and yawned fully before he glanced towards the big clock on the wall.

"Ah. I gotta go, lovely Lydia. I'll see you tomorrow? I'll be in at 2."

"I'll be here. And I bring the others so that you can say hi to the team. Get your camera out," she added with a little chuckle.

+++++

The next day, when the group arrived, Stiles was in deep discussion with Scott, his arms crossed and his chest puffed out in a defiant gesture. Scott just grinned, cocking his head and nodding towards the door.  
"I don't know, man. I don't really see the appeal of strawberry jam, myself. Also, there's customers for you." , Scott with a wave towards the redhead who just opened the door and beamed as if the café was already hers.

Lydia hadn't lied when she'd mentioned bringing the crew. She sauntered into the shop in her summer dress and leather jacket-combination (that was very stylish, Stiles had to admit. Impeccable taste as always.), holding open the door for two young men and two women. One of them almost immediately uttered a 'wow', looking around in wonder. Stiles tried to place them as they approached, and his breath nearly hitched. 

There was Lydia, holding her tablet in hand and smiling at the awestruck woman holding a camera; Probably one of the photographers, then. The other woman was older, with sideswept, dark curls and a beautiful face like a marble statue that always held a small half-smile. Stiles knew her from the magazines - Talia Hale, head of the modelling agency Luna Plena and sole matriarch of the Hale pack that kept Beacon Hills safe for centuries. She was indeed a sight to behold, especially in reality. 

Stiles turned his face to the men, and suddenly felt somewhat... inadequate. One of the two was a stranger to him, with short hair and an expensive cardigan, running a slender hand across the leather seats with an appreciative smile. The other... 

The other was Derek Hale. 

Derek was one of the most famous models of Luna Plena and pretty much a celebrity in Beacon Hills, despite his solitary behaviour and distanced approach to, well, everything. There wasn't much the public knew about him outside of his shoots - he seemed to live in a loft somewhere in the industrial area, was often seen hanging out with members of his family pack, had a younger roommate and disliked cats. That was it. Still, the Beacon Hills media was hot on his heels whenever he was seen somewhere, and his return to town several years prior - after a time-out in New York, of all places - had nearly been celebrated. 

Stiles knew all this because he had a raging man-crush the size of Alabama. 

Not that he could disagree with his hormones here. Derek was the most handsome rugged bastard he'd ever laid his eyes on. He always looked like he had just left his bed, wearing fitting dark jeans and loose tanks that left his muscular arms bare, inviting him to look. And there was this permanent scowl, too. It should be a turn-off, but hands down, it was just sexy on his sharp face. 

Talia approached the counter, moving into his line of vision and breaking the spell. She offered him a hand. 

"Good afternoon. Talia Hale, I'm here to talk about the shoot..."

Stiles blinked and turned to face her, suddenly feeling almost intimidated as he shook her hand and smiled sheepishly.

"I am just a part timer here, sorry. Deaton should be here soon, but I am sure Scott can also help you with everything you need..", he tried to say without stuttering or making a fool of himself.

His gaze turned to Derek for a moment longer. A man whose face he mostly knew from magazines, some ads and also one or two movies. They had met in the forests of Beacon Hills some years ago, when he had ventured into the woods with Scott after he had been bitten. But after that it had been Scott talking to Derek and visiting his family to get the hang of his new werewolf-ness. Stiles hadn't joined him. He had tried his own werewolf training and he was still of the firm belief that it had been awesome.

Yeah, hitting Scott with Lacrosse balls had surely worked wonder for his self control. 

Stiles usually tried to forget the incident during the full moon when Scott had been nothing but an ass. But fortunately that phase had passed. And then, with the strange Jackson-kanima incident (thanks to all the supernatural beings out there he was a werewolf now and all had gone well!), Derek had appeared once or twice. In the club, right after the rave party where Isaac had managed to get them cards for, and at the end when they had all thought they had killed Jackson.

Then Derek had moved away again and he had not seen him again. Until now.

An almost stupid smile appeared on Stiles' lips. Derek wasn't that much older than he was, but he looked so good. Like a Greek marble statue. Just perfect.

Scott's hum brought him back to the present as he blinked and stared at his best friend.

"Deaton left everything to me. And he told me to help you by all means I can. So... if you want to discuss anything, I am yours. Stiles, you got the counter."

"Wonderful. Nice to see you again after all this time, Scott," Talia said, shaking his hand, too. She clearly was used to this - talking and shaking hands, listening and nodding, being pleasant around people. A skillset Stiles did not always possess himself. 

He saw the stranger whisper to Derek, earning him an elbow to the ribs and a roll of the eyes. They seemed close, Derek keeping slightly away from the counter, eyebrows drawn into a disdainful frown, and the other almost shielding him from the people inside the bar. A friend, maybe. Or more family - the Hale pack was huge. 

Talia, Scott, Lydia and the photographer were soon in deep discussion about light options and dates, and Stiles was pleased to see that it seemed to be going well. Lydia even gave him a thumbs up as she caught him gazing over, just finishing one of his customary lattes and handing it to a college kid with a toffee muffin and a smirk. Derek and his buddy joined in on the discussion about the session, too.

Things seemed to be well.

Stiles almost forgot about them for a little moment, restocking their fresh espresso roast and humming along to the music, when Scott's chipper voice called him back to reality. His friend was hanging halfway across the counter looking at him. 

"Hey, you're working regular next Tuesday, right? You think you can do the catering for the shoot instead of normal shop? I can't help out, I have the clinic in the afternoon."

"Eh? ...what?"

Stiles looked up, for a moment utterly confused.

"The shoot will take place next Tuesday and we'll close the shop for that time. But if you want to, can you maybe still come in and make some drink and snacks for them? Lydia obviously talked about your coffee, so now everyone wants to try them.", Scott repeated with a soft smile.

"Uhm... sure, I guess?", Stiles murmured, glancing first to Scott and then into the corner where the entire team stood and silently talked about seemingly important stuff. Then he nodded.

"I can, yeah. But how long will this be? I actually got plans next Tuesday afternoon... so.."

"I don't think it'll take forever, and I can probably cover the late shift if things do take longer. But they seem confident they'll be done quickly. Well, most of them are." 

Scott offered him a grin, somewhat lopsided. Oh, this would be fun. 

"Just the normal shift for you. Only difference is that they have a sort of flat-rate on everything they need and pay in advance."

Stiles nodded at that, then turned to prepare a drink. One latte he knew by heart now - the one for Lydia. And she looked like she needed one.

"Okay, I can do that. I wanted to see a shooting anyway! I mean, I know the finished products, some of them at least, but I've never seen them in the making, so... yeah. This will be cool."

He slid a coke over the counter to Scott, who blinked before Stiles took the finished Latte and headed over, not even waiting to see if he disturbed them during something important. Talia hesitated as he approached and the unknown man stared at him before he bowed before Lydia and placed the drink on her table.

"Two shots seemed to be fine today?"

"You are a little coffee wizard, Stiles," Lydia said in an almost teasing, easy tone. She took the latte and sipped, lashes fluttering close in happy relaxation. 

"Brilliant." 

"Now, I am curious," the stranger said, turning his eyes to Stiles and smirking like a very hungry cat as the others returned to their talks. The photographer was already talking animatedly, gesturing at the table Stiles had affectionately dubbed the Couple Corner. Of course it would be a center of the shoot. 

The man looked somewhat more dangerous than the others, angular and sharp, like a predator - but then again, most of them probably were. Stiles dimly recalled times from his history lessons where Werewolves weren't known as they were today, when people regarded them as dangerous misfits, witches, doombringers. 

"Lydia praises your coffee. Can you make me one, too? Something unique for this little store."

"Sure.", Stiles said with a nod, looking straight into the strangers' eyes and even flashing a little grin.  
Stiles knew that some werewolves liked to see themselves as superior to humans, and from the pure biology they sure were. They were stronger, had sharper senses and lived far longer lives. But Stiles never was one to be easily impressed and he never had backed down, and he sure wouldn't start it now.

"What do you like?"

"Let's see," the man said, tapping his chin with a finger. His nails were short and blunt, put perfectly maintained. Probably another model, then, or someone who took great care of his body. 

"A well-roasted bean. The taste of coffee. Vanilla, nuts, caramel, cold milk, the classics. But I am also keen on elaborate and unique mixtures. Something I have never tasted that way. And I don't like cream on my coffee," he ended, holding his gaze.

Stiles just nodded, murmured a 'sure' and then headed back, not even bothering to make a polite exit.  
When he reached the counter, he grabbed a glass and hesitated for a moment. A cold drink then. No cream. Including coffee. He could add some crashed nuts on the top and turn it into a vanilla-caramel with a hint of chocolate. Or add some cinnamon? Nah, that was more a winter drink and it was far too warm for that. But caramel and chocolate went good together. Like this snack Scott loved to eat - chocolate caramel bar with vanilla ice-cream, cold milk and coffee.

Stiles shrugged and then went to work. He added the shot of coffee in the end, watching it sink down in the milk-ice-cream mix with a nod. It smelled lovely.

Only when he was satisfied with it, did he take the glass and head over while the photographer was busy explaining the lighting of the room.

"Here's your drink, Sir."

"Thank you very much," the man said, taking the cup and looking at it with curiosity. He smiled at the lack of whipped cream and took the straw between his teeth, taking a sip. 

His eyes widened in appreciation, and he let go of the straw tentatively. 

"This... is really, really good. I have to agree with Lydia on this - you must be some sort of coffee god."  
Talia chuckled quietly. 

"If you can cater to Peter's taste buds you really have to be good, Stiles. I am looking forward to the shoot already."

Peter? So this was Peter Hale? The model scout and creative director? Indeed a family business.

"Hah. Thanks. Scott asked me to do the catering then, so I'll be here. Would any of you want a drink as well as you're here now?"

The photographer perked up at that.

"Oh, yes. A cappuchino please."

"I take a vanilla latte, thank you," Talia said with a friendly expression on her face. Then she half-turned her head. "What about you, Derek?" 

"Just water's fine for me." 

And god damn him, Stiles didn't remember Derek's voice to be that attractive. It was low and somewhat moody, but the way he spoke made the student swoon on the inside. Shit, they should release more movies with him. Or make him read a goddamn audio book. 

This wasn't fair.

His eyes slowly turned to Derek and he tried to take in his features without appearing to stare as he nodded and slowly repeated the orders. This man was so perfect. If there only was a way to get to know him...

Stiles returned with the orders some minutes later, making the photographer smile happily. The Vanilla Latte found its way in front of Talia, and then he placed the water on the table, together with a white chocolate cookie before he turned and headed back.

He had not read somewhere that Derek liked white chocolate. No. Never.

He heard the soft chuckle of Peter, warm and somewhat amazed as he passed him on the way back to the counter. Stiles didn't wait to see if Derek took the cookie, busied himself with other matters, but when he cleared the table much later - after they were all gone, and Talia waved at him with a little 'see you on Tuesday' - there were only some crumbs left on the otherwise emptied plate. 

Score.

+++++

The next days passed in a blur and Stiles really didn't spend some nights with researching about Derek Hale. Absolutely not.

He would never sit there, hunched over his laptop, eating crisps as he stared at one interview after the other, until he finally found what he was looking for - he liked a white chocolate mocha!

Stiles yawned as he opened the shop, then put up the 'closed today, sorry :( ' on the door as he head in further. He did not bother with dressing like he worked here, after all he would be the only one inside, at least until Scott would join him later.

Half an hour later he opened the door for some workers who quickly prepared the corner according to some plans before they covered the front window so that no one would be able to peek inside. Stiles took some photos of it, before he switched on the music and began to prepare the snacks which he laid out on the tables right across the counter. He even tried to decorate them a bit, and added fruits to the sandwiches, cakes, brownies, cookies and nuts. 

His Lacrosse gear stood in a corner and he set his alarm. After all he would train with Danny again today. It was a strange routine by now, but they met at least once a month and trained on their old high school grounds. The Coach allowed them to and it was that much fun that Stiles had actually applied to the college's Lacrosse team recently. It was nowhere near the professional team Danny and Jackson were playing on, but he could continue to play it. The first meeting had already happened two days ago and the team was nice and he had actually hopes of being appointed a regular.

His Dad had been beyond happy.

Stiles was silently singing along as he heard a knock on the door and went to open it. The photographer greeted him and headed inside, setting everything up and Stiles took another photo.

The next person to arrive was, surprisingly, a familiar face. 

"Stiles!" 

Cora Hale beamed at him, actually coming in for a powerful hug. They had been in High School together, and while Cora had never been a regular of Stiles little rag-tag gang of misfits, she'd often ended up at their lunch table or in his Chemistry group. They have had a loose contact after leaving Beacon Hills High, and Stiles knew that she was majoring in Photography by this time, but he wasn't all too surprised to see her at her family's shoot. 

"I'm doing the social media for LP," she explained to him over the maybe sweetest marshmallow hot chocolate he had ever whipped up for a customer. "So I'm usually around for the shootings to get some juicy behind-the-scenes for backers and the likes. You won't believe how many people pay a little extra to get the more private pictures of the super-sellers."

"Haha..."

Stiles laughed at that, ignoring the little voice inside of him who agreed to his wholeheartedly. He had clicked through these videos and images as well. And actually he was following LP's instagram for a while now. They didn't have a lot of regular models, but all of them were top notch. Especially Derek.

"You're doing great. I sometimes look at the posts and they are really well written and you certainly have a good eye for photography," he told her honestly, nodding towards the door as Talia walked in, joined by a woman Stiles had never seen before.

"She's a werewolf, too?", he asked silently.

LP mostly featured werewolves and did its best to educate people. Sometimes they showed human-werewolf pairs and sometimes also played with the tropes and expectations. But most of all it was nothing but art. They provided for a couple of regular magazines, among them the one Lydia currently worked for. Stiles knew that some people out there scoffed at the titles, calling them pornography or skin magazines, but he clearly disagreed with them. 

Although he couldn't deny that pretty much all of the shots made him feel a little hot under his collar.  
Then again it wasn't really a surprise, with guys like Derek Hale on the roster. The very Derek that just came through the door, looking like the universe had picked this specific day to pee into his breakfast. Or something similar.  
Stiles could already hear Lydia's shocked gasp. Yeah, 'happy' clearly wasn't Derek's default expression. But he had the grace to nod at Stiles and his sister as he took off his leather jacket, letting it glide onto one of the unused seats at the tables near the front. Claiming it for himself. 

Stiles had been around Werewolf-Scott long enough to realize that werewolves had some peculiar habits, and that those included their, well, interests. Werewolf erotica in the broadest sense included a lot of skin, sure, but different angles than he'd come to expect from more human-oriented magazines. Even if the models of LP were always clothed in their shots - the most Stiles had seen was a beach-themed shoot with bikinis and a underwear one - they played with the clear attraction most of the readers held for their unique, non-human models, all the while using their popularity to explain about things such as mating behaviour or the pull of the full moon.

Stiles nodded back and cast a glance to the leather jacket. He had seen it on Derek's private instagram and a couple behind the scenes images. He really liked the look of it and it was especially great when Derek wore it. He somehow wanted to touch it, but knew better than to try this. Scott had told him about werewolves being very aware of different smells. And they didn't like strangers touching their belongings, mostly due to the smell thing.

He glanced to the side, watching how Derek greeted the female model and received some instructions.  
This was probably the last time he would be so close to the werewolf, so he at least wanted to leave a lasting - and positive - impression. Derek wasn't often seen in town, and when he was actually spotted, then in some small and private cafés. He had never been in here and there was no reason for him to return later. This was far too open and public.

A couple more people walked in and began to style the two models, while the photographer ordered another cappuccino and ate some of the cookies. Some minute later Stiles' mobile blinked as Scott texted him, asking how things were going. He texted back a happy smiley and a thumbs up before he put the phone back and looked up to see Cora snatching pictures. There were actually two security guys near the entrance.

"Uh... just tell me if I should change the music or anything, right?", he asked in the direction of the models and she just flashed him a thumbs up.

He watched as the first photos were taken - quick, bright flashes of lights focused on the two models, both sitting in their respective seats, posing rather seriously. He wondered what the theme of the shoot was, or if they were just warming up. 

And it was nice, seeing the shoot up close. Both Derek and the woman were utterly professional, their poses perfect, flawless, and without hesitation. The photographer gave curt instructions every once in a while - chin up, hand lower, eyes more to the left. 

Talia leaned against the counter close to him, sipping her coffee and looking more relaxed than he'd seen her before, despite Derek's still somewhat surly attitude. 

"Are you into modelling business, Stiles? You seem interested."

"Me?"

The question actually took him by surprise. He couldn't just say 'No, I am not, I'm just totally interested in your son, that's all.'. No. He couldn't.

So he cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck.

"I sometime buy your magazine. And I was really curious how such shootings work. It's really cool to see. I'm overall more into the Lacrosse and criminal science business."

"So you're a college student I take? Must be tough, juggling your studies and work. Very responsible from you." She smiled at him, taking another sip. The shooting shifted a little, with Derek standing behind the chair, his arm placed on the backrest and his shirt undone. The girl way lounging in the seat, her legs stretched out comfortable, looking into the camera. 

"I'm glad you are enjoying the shoot," Talia continued. "It's a pleasure to work this family business, but that doesn't mean it's not demanding."

"Haha, oh yeah. My Dad's the Sheriff, so I kinda know what you're dealing with. Although you are officially working together, I just jump in and do things", which often ended with him being in trouble, but that wasn't something he had to mention.

He reached for his mobile and took some picture before he smiled and returned to his coffee machine. Stiles ran a hand through his hair, carefully preparing the coffee while he tilted his head slightly and watched the machine slowly coming to life.

"But that looks really good. I'm sure this will sell well."

He could hear the click of a shutter. Turning his head a looked at Cora, grinning across the rim of her camera. 

"Backstage pics usually include info on our caterers. Hope you're okay with me putting you on Insta?" she asked sweetly. Stiles could hear the clicks of the other cameras over the sound of the shop's music, a strange, almost lulling backdrop of tunes and sounds he could get used to.

He laughed and shrugged.

"I don't mind. Then I can like myself, whooo!", he said with a bright smile before he handed her another drink. "What's the theme of this shooting?"

"Public dating," Cora replied, licking across the rim of the cup and beaming at the taste. 

"The article's about public spaces that are good for werewolves that just started going on dates - you know, with the smell and privacy issues and all. Laura's writing it, it's going to be great. Educational and maybe a little sexy," she added with a little laugh. Her eyes went to Derek. 

"He's still wearing his shirt? This is going surprisingly slow today."

Stiles' eyes turned to the side maybe a bit too quickly. But heck, this was Derek Hale, he was probably used to people staring at him and finding him sexy. And heck, the entire family looked gorgeous. Amazing genetics.  
"That sounds like an interesting article...", Stiles murmured before he turned and prepared a white chocolate mocha.

"Maybe it's time for a break? I mean, this café here smells like a million other people probably. Maybe that's not ideal for a shoot that's supposed to show interest and blooming relationship?"

"The café is actually good, that's why we're showcasing it with the article. I mostly smell the stuff from your amazing bakery, and the coffee, so it's not bad, especially for young couples that don't want to dive headlong into more private matters like scenting. But a break sounds pretty perfect. Mom?" 

Talia nodded solemnly, getting up. "Take a break, everyone! Half an hour. Derek, Lucy, have a little snack, you deserve to unwind for a bit. We don't want you to look tense for the magazine, after all!"

Stiles couldn't hold back a soft smile appearing on his lips. He prepared a black coffee and a vanilla Latte before he glanced at the snacks. Especially the sandwich table was almost empty, so he made a mental note to prepare some more.

When he emerged from the counter, he handed Talia the Latte, gave the coffee to Lucy before he placed the white chocolate mocha on Derek's table. He had some coke and bottles with water which he gave to the security guys, the make-up gurus and the photographer.

Only then did he walk back and began to use the space next to the coffee machine to prepare some more food. He heard the photographer's groan and couldn't hold back a grin.

"I'm so glad we turned to shooting here. This boy's a blessing."

There was agreement all around. Derek stalked past the counter with his customary scowl to sit down at his table... and saw the coffee that innocently stood next to his seat. Stiles could see a second of hesitation like the classical fight or flight response flitting across his face.... before he sat town, taking the cup in hand and taking a sip. Derek closed his eyes, fingers curled around the cup. And okay, yeah, he looked like he definitely, definitely enjoyed what Stiles had whipped up for him.  
It made his chest swell up with pride and he definitely couldn't hold back the smile now. Maybe he'd keep him in his memory for a bit. And if not, then maybe his coffee.

The door made a silent sound as it opened and Scott rushed in, immediately closing it behind him.  
"Oh man, it started raining a bit ago...", he murmured as he shook his head and tried to get rid of the water.

"How's it going?"

Cora flashed him a grin and the photographer nodded.

"We just finished the first set and decided to take a short break. The location and the catering really is wonderful. Thanks."

"I'm glad!", Scott exclaimed as he walked up to Stiles. "You can go now, if you want to train in this rain. Uargh."

Stiles laughed and nodded, nudging against Scott's shoulder before he took his bag and disappeared into the back room. When he reappeared shortly afterwards he wore his sport shoes, shorts and Lacrosse shirt. His hair was a bit unruly as he ran his hair through it and reached for the hoodie sitting on his bag.  
When he turned around to face Cora, he stopped his movement and blinked. "Uh... why are you staring, Cora..? Hello? Earth to Cora?"

She blinked, looking a little taken aback. But the grin returned to her face in the breath of a second.

"Man, Stiles. You look fiiine under all these layers!" she said with appreciation. "Too bad you never show this to us mere mortals. Hey, uhm, I was talking with mom earlier, and I have a question. Do you have a minute before you get out there? Back room, maybe?"

"Uh, I'm actually almost late already. And I don't want to keep him waiting.", he said with an apologetic smile, closing the hoodie and putting the hood up before he got the Lacrosse gear on his back.  
"But...", he began and turned to the counter where he grabbed a cookie and two pieces of paper. One he handed Cora - it had his number scribbled on it - before he turned to Derek and approached him, placing the cookie with the paper on the table (and his number). There was a barely visible faint blush on his cheeks.

"You probably don't remember me, but we met a couple of times. Mostly due to Scott being a werewolf and the kanima thing. I just wanted to say 'hi' and totally make a fool out of myself by doing this, but better a fool than a coward, right? So, I am Stiles and I work here part-time and if you ever want a coffee or a cookie or a guy rambling you to the oblivion, then you can call me or come here again or anything."  
Stiles breathed in deeply, straightened himself and headed for the door, not daring to look back.  
The doorbell jingled as it fell closed behind Stiles, and Derek still stared at the place he had just vacated.... after a monologue at the speed of light that had Scott flinching slightly, tying his apron. 

"Oh man, Stiles," he muttered, risking a sideways glance at Cora. She was snickering under her breath, trying to hide it in the coffee cup, but failing miserably. Derek blinked, slowly, and looked at the piece of paper lying in front of him. Then, silently, he pocketed the number before taking a small bite out of his cookie.

+++++

"You're late", Danny shouted as he did a couple of jumps, warming himself up. Stiles mumbled a 'sorry' as he ran up to him and warmed himself up before he tried to score some goals against Danny.  
The training helped to clear his mind and get rid of the blush and the utter feeling of embarassement that ran through him. The training was hard and long and at the end he sat on the grass, gasping for breath, but he felt good.

And Danny grinned as he helped him up. "You're good, Stiles. Actually... really good."

"Aw, come on. I'm nowhere near as good as you and Jackson", he said with a grumble.

"We're practicing every day and are playing on a professional level. But no, you're really good. I have to actually play like I mean it now. Good work!".

Danny patted him on the back before he said goodbye and walked to his car. Stiles followed him and sat down in his own jeep, groaning. Everything hurt. He stretched his legs a bit and he waved to Danny as he drove off, before he reached for his mobile and blinked as he noticed a message from an unknown number.

'Want 2 ask u something asap. Tell me when I can call u. PS: Derek kept ur number <33'

It had to be Cora. Stiles groaned against his better judgement, even if his heart did a little flutter in his chest. Derek kept his number...?! Which didn't mean anything, right? Still he gulped a bit when he texted back that he was in his car and she could call him now.

And then he saved her under 'Cora Hale'.

Cora called a handful of seconds later. Stiles couldn't hear anything in the background - she was probably out in the break room, where he or Scott usually hung between shifts. 

"Hey Stiles! Training go alright?"

"Yeah, went good. I'm slowly getting better, I guess. So, what's up?", he asked while grabbing his water bottle.

"Right to the core, I like you! Everyone's madly in love with your coffee goodness. They wanted to abduct you and tie you up in the basement already. I suggested we go the legal way and just ask. You think you'd be interested in catering for us every once in a while? Only if it doesn't interfere with college and work and Lacrosse, of course. But you're the first person that actually made Derek eat during a shoot, and he's only half-cranky now that we're nearly done, and he loved your coffee, and I can't live without your marshmallow chocolate I think. So I am beseeching you here."

"Hah...", Stiles laughed and that and leaned back, almost not trusting his ears.

"What's 'once in a while'? I'm working part time in the café now during the summer break, but once the break's over, I won't be able to work there a lot. And I don't own a machine or anything..."

The first person to make Derek eat during work? Somehow this turned his steady heartbeat into a little fluttering thing.

"Well, as often as you have time and want to, really. We have this huge espresso machine, but nobody can really work it. I tried, and the result was just plain awful. Pay's going to be pretty good, too, if that sweetens the deal."  
"Uh..."

He ran a hand through his hair and glanced outside. "....I could do it once or twice, I suppose. But once summer break is over, I'm out. Sorry. But I can teach you how to use that machine?"

"Once or twice is good enough for me, really. Anything to get more of that caffeine-y goodness you are promising us," she said with a quiet, happy sigh. 

"Does that mean I can give them some good news?"

"Yeah. Once or twice."

He smiled, taking a sip from his bottle.

"And hey, the pics I snapped. I'm not allowed to upload them anywhere... or?"

"Hah! Why the hell not? I mean, maybe not those where out models are super scarcely clad, but those you snapped earlier? You're part of the team, sure you can give people a sneak peek of your day!"

"Yeah! Cool! I'll tag the official account in them! Thanks! Well then, text me again once you know more when my coffee-abilities are needed,", he said with a laugh before they exchange their goodbyes and he glanced at his mobile one last time before starting the engine.

+++++

"These are really good," Talia mused, scrolling through the picture roll on her brother's iPad. She nodded in appreciation; the photos were well-lit, with dramatic shadows and rich red and auburn hues. Derek looked gorgeous in the environment, his dark hair and startingly bright eyes fitting the rauchy interior of the café. Lucy's curling hair and nearly sassy impression held something fascinating for the viewer, looking directly at the audience. 

"Good job on the compositions here. Are you content with how it turned out?"

Peter, who sat across her, leaned back and nodded.

"In fact, yes. The café was a really good place for the photos, maybe even better than the one I originally had in mind. Oh, and don't forget to send their address to our lawyer. We had the place booked and payed and they told us, after we signed the contract, that it wouldn't be available", he said with a frown on his forehead. "But yeah, they look good. They'll be great for an article about dating werewolves and smell and place."

"Laura is writing it as we speak, and it's looking very good. We might be able to use one of the shorts for the cover, too - they're intimate and attractive without showing too much skin or going into any direction. That is if you don't have another favourite in mind from the follow-up shoots." 

The Hale pack wasn't just a group of wolves sticking together - it was also a company that understood how the markets worked. Talia had trained all three of her children herself, and Peter had easily found his way to LP as a creative director for setups and photoshoots. He used to be a model, but had stepped behind the curtains after a live-changing event - his ascension to Alpha status. 

This was just one of the ways the Hale pack ignored most conventions. They were led by two Alphas, with Talia calling the shots and Peter being more in the background, but with no less influence.

"That totally depends on what articles you want to include?"

Peter tilted his head, eyes on her. She was his sister, but they spent half the time arguing, and the other half working together effectively.

"The main and connecting topic is werewolves and dating. I thought we could take photos of Derek and Isaac together and maybe give some short information about both of them. A small interview with questions such as 'what's your type' etc. They are both single and very popular on the market. This would fit into the overall theme and also give the interested reader some rare information about them?"

"Sounds good - although I am on the fence about selling them out like this. Granted, Isaac is an adult now, too, and he can make his own decision if he wants to have private information printed.... but still. Not sure if Derek will tell anything about himself, either. You know he hates this part of work." She frowned, clearly thinking of her top model who also happened to be her son. Working with Derek wasn't always easy, but the results were usually absolutely worth it.

"The questions will be asked by us. And they can be as vague as possible. And it'll be short. He surely will be able to answer about three questions, right?", Peter asked with a wink.

"I want them with an old car, lots of smoke. Leather jackets and the sorts. I want photos like they're brothers and packmates. I want the photos to show that." Peter grinned, totally loving his own idea.

"I also have ideas for the next four prints. Elements. Each magazine one element, five models. So all in all 20 models with small interviews, and very artsy photos."

"We need some outside models, then. We don't have twenty regulars." Talia tapped her chin with a perfectly manicured finger, nodding slowly. It was a joy to see Peter this inspired, like a ball of energy and inspiration. He had already come up with more shooting ideas than the rest of the year had months to offer. 

"Sure thing. I want Derek for fire, Isaac for water and ice. Erica maybe also for fire. I want Jackson back in, but not sure for which element yet. Laura will be in as well. Maybe I will be there. We'll see", he added with a shrug and a glance at his mobile.

"I want Boyd for Earth. Hm, or maybe Erica as wind, her hair would look great with the ideas I have. We could also include 'pairing' pictures."

"What have you done to my brother?" Talia interrupted with a smile, shaking her head in awe. "Really, Peter, you are quite on a roll here."

He raised an eyebrow and huffed slightly. "Please. My ideas were always the best!"

He moved his hand, but didn't stop the smile from appearing on his lips.

She was about to say more when the door to the office opened. Cora jumped in, all high-strung energy and wide-eyed wonder. She was brandishing her phone like a knife. 

"Mom, Peter, you got to see this. The last photo blew up on social media, it netted us so many likes!" 

"One of your backstage-shots?" Talia asked with amusement in her voice.

Peter turned his head, not too interested. "Your photos always do great. And what do you expect? It was a shooting with Derek and the rising idol. It was bound to do well?"

"Yeah, but they're not even on the pic. Have a look." She turned her phone, showing the crisp and clean picture of... their barista. "The people really love his face."

At that Peter's eyebrows darted up as he stared at the picture and the reaction numbers.

"Okay, that's unusual. But I have to admit, that photo's really good, Cora."

"Thanks," she said, clearly proud of herself. 

Talia held the phone still, studying the picture for a moment. She could see the appeal Stiles could have for the viewers - sure, he was young and fresh, but he also had something incredibly friendly, inviting about himself. And he was attractive, too, which really was a bonus. "Nice. Well taken."

"He could make a fine model one day. If he learns to control his face and does some sport. He's awfully skinny." Peter threw in before he looked at Talia, thinking this topic to be dismissed.

Talia returned his gaze, nodding in agreement. 

+++++

Little did they know about Stiles' training regime and the skin underneath his loose clothes. He wasn't a sports addict, but working out at the former high school lacrosse field, throwing down some balls with Danny and his friends, it made him happy. 

"How did the sign ups for the college team go?" Danny asked during their break.

"Ah? Sorry, totally forgot to tell you about that. It went well. I'm in, part of the team and as it sounded also a regular player."

Stiles smiled, wearing his sport shorts, the good shoes and just a tank top today. His hair was a mess by now and sweat trickled down his forehead as he picked up a ball and turned to look at the goal.

"Nice. So we get you a little more often on the field, now, to get yourself going again?" 

Stiles grabbed his stick and nodded at Danny, who got up and took his place in the goal and grinned at him.

"Come at me..."

Some weeks ago Danny had really gone easy on him. This now was completely different and Stiles already noticed the changes in himself - he got quicker, his body more toned. And now, with his tank-top on, his arms and parts of his upper body were actually visible.

He grabbed the ball and pushed himself off, running towards the goal before he jumped to the right and threw the ball into the left corner. They were unaware that they were being watched by one of the joggers currently taking a break in the shadow of an overhanging tree. The man stood hunched forward, hands on his legs and chest heaving as he caught deep breaths, looking around... and staying focused on Stiles. 

Derek was surprised. He didn't look half bad, looking like this...

Stiles didn't notice him. He just ran the back of his hand over his forehead and then walked back to get another ball. He bounced slightly, then grabbed his shirt and pulled it up to repeat the motion from before, but now with a cloth between his fingers and his forehead, revealing his entire upper body, before he let it fall down again.

"You're a menace, Danny! You enjoy making me sweat!"

It was quite a sight. Stiles was slim, but he was trained, with his muscles working below a wide expanse of pale and lithe muscle. Derek realized he was staring, even if only a little. 

He was... nice to look at, indeed. He shook his head softly, continuing on his run.

+++++

The next week passed in a blur for Stiles. He checked into the courses for the next semester and already did some reading, and he attended the weekly Lacrosse training. He also worked in the café and tried to help his Dad as much as he could.

He had still not received any text from Derek, but he was pretty sure that the werewolf had thrown away his number anyway. There was no real reason for him to keep it, after all. Cora, however, had texted him somewhat regularly, praising his instagram photo and giving him details about the shooting where he was helping today. And man, the pay was good.

"I'll be back late, don't wait for me!", he called to his Dad before he hopped out, wearing his favourite Tee together with a red hoodie and dark Jeans. Everything was comfortable and good for long hours of work. Stiles got into his Jeep, checked the adress for one last time and then he was off, driving to the other side of town. 

He parked the car in front of the studio and once he left it, Cora already waited for him and waved him inside. "Okay. Here's the catering. Food's already coming in, but this is the machine. Better familiarize yourself with it, or we will all die a painful death. And I really need your hot chocolate now..."  
Stiles laughed and saluted before he headed over to the small counter where the red coffee machine stood proudly and unused. Fortunately it was a model similar to the one they used in Deaton's café, so he had no problem operating it. He prepared a latte for practice and Cora's hot chocolate, when he suddenly heard a voice that made him look up.

"Jesus. Stiles! Man!"

Isaac Lahey. His former team mate in the Beacon Hill's high school Lacrosse team. And his suffer-mate in chemistry. Stile smiled brightly as they hugged each other. He hadn't seen Isaac in forever, but the young man hadn't changed much; despite the warm weather he was still bundled up in his quite ridiculous scarves, smiling brilliantly across the top of the wool. He looked genuinely happy to see him. 

"Cora told me that you worked at the café where they had the last shoot, and I could barely believe it. Small world," he said with a content expression. "You in college now?"

Stiles nodded in answer.

"Yeah. Criminal science. I just started and I'm actually really nervous. First courses start soon and man, I hope this will be good.", he said with a laugh. "But you're a model here now? Sweet."

It shouldn't come as a surprise, really. After all he was a part of the Hale family now, a werewolf like Erica  
and Boyd. But it couldn't have turned out better for him - Stiles had only found out about Isaac's abusive father at the end when Jackson had helped the police to make a case. And then Derek had appeared and took him in and from that day Isaac had totally changed. Gone was the timid teenager, and back was snarky and confident Isaac. They had worked together during the Kanima incident, but after that they hadn't really talked. Somehow Isaac had left and Stiles had forgotten to ask for his number.

"As I'm responsible for drinks today - what do you want? Oh, and should we exchange mobile numbers? So that you can send me ridiculous selfies as well?"

"My selfies are never ridiculous," Isaac said solemnly, but leaned forward to snatch up a napkin. He scrawled his number onto the thin paper and handed it over to Stiles. 

"Text or call me so I get yours. They really snagged you to freelance as our Barista for the shoot? Man, this is going to be heaven. I mean Cora usually gets us Starbucks during the break, but having you here makes everything so much easier. I'll have an Americano if you don't mind. Still busy waking up after yesterday."

"Thanks!", Stiles mumbled as he saved the number in his mobile, then sent him a quick text including the most ridiculous smiley he could find at such a short time, before he headed back to the machine and prepared the coffee. "After yesterday? Partied until late at night, uh?"

"Not really, no. Erica and Boyd moved into their new apartment and we all helped out with the move. It's ridiculous how many boxes of books they had." He flashed Stiles a grin, leaning against the counter and taking off his coat and scarf. 

"Man, it's nice seeing you again."

Stiles could only agree. Although they had never been the closest, it was really nice having Isaac around. He flashed him a grin before he placed the coffee right in front of him.  
"There ya go. And wow, never thought Boyd's much the reader. But then again... I never really knew him."

"Yeah, he's a private guy," Isaac said with a nod. He took the Americano gingerly, trying a first sip and beaming at Stiles. "Can I keep you?"

"Hah!", Stiles laughed and scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry, just a part-time job of mine. But you can come to the café until the new semester starts.", he added with a wink.

Stiles turned his head as Cora waved at him and then returned to her work of taking backstage pictures.  
"So... you're a model today?"

"Yeah. I work pretty regularly with these folks. Originally Derek made me do it, told me to earn a proper living, yadda, yadda. I really like it." He flashed him a lopsided smirk. "It's nice, being paid to look pretty. Exhausting, too, but the good kind. If there's a good photographer or other models you can make the craziest stunts. And it helps that I'm a werewolf - business is flourishing since people grew into the werewolf-themed mags."

"Oooooh, yeah."

Stiles leaned against the counter, nodding with a grin. "But hey that's cool. You got a job you like, you're good at and that earn you sweet money. Sounds like an awesome deal, if you ask me. What kind of photos are you gonna take today?"

"Peter had this idea of making an article about pack dynamics, so it's going to be me and Derek today. Beta-to-Beta-relationships," he explained, still somewhat curled around his cup. "It's a topic that isn't usually covered in photography, so it's going to be interesting. I'll have to go into hair and makeup soon, you wanna join me on a little behind the scenes-tour or stay here?"

"Oh? Gladly!" Stiles beamed at this and pushed himself off to join Isaac. The studio was huge and it was well lit, showcasing a stage, a black wall which could have water running down it. A simple set up, but he could really imagine Derek looking totally hot with wet clothes...

He cleared his throat and turned his gaze to the other side, where clothes and shoes were currently readied, and there was one of the make-up designers from last week. Stiles nodded in greeting.  
"This building is owned by the Hales, it's three floors of different studios and office rooms. LP administration is on the fourth floor. If you wanna get in touch with Talia, that's where you ought to go." 

Isaac gave him the tour, introducing him to the photographers and staff members, and taking a (actually really good-looking, Stiles had to admit) selfie with Stiles and Cora, coffee cup still in one hand. He was busying himself with showing Stiles the sketchbook Peter had left with the fashion department - giving designs for different outfits he was going to wear during the shoot - when the door opened and Derek stalked in. 

"Morning," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear but not too loud to jostle anyone. Stiles mouth went dry; nobody was supposed to look this good with an unshaven face, jeans and a leather jacket on top of a goddamn white tee shirt. It was just not fair. 

"Hey, Stiles. Nice to see you again," he said, surprising the younger.

Stiles blinked at that, fingers tightening around the book in his hands and nodded, for a moment unable to speak, before he croaked out a 'morning...'. "Eh. Thanks for the tour, Isaac!", he managed to say after he had cleared his throat. "I should head back. After all they're paying me for the coffee and as much fun as this is (and man, this was really really interesting!), I think I should go to the counter and work. Does anyone here want any coffee?"

Isaac looked surprised at the sudden retreat, even as he greeted Derek with a bump of their shoulders in passing. "Already? We haven't even started yet," he said with a frown, but then conceded. "Alright, alright. I see you during break, then?" 

Stiles collected a number of different coffee orders, the staff members being friendly, yet curious. This would be a intense workday for him. But he still managed to get some of them to actually smile as he delivered their order a while later. He also placed a hot chocolate in front of Cora and a white chocolate mocha in front of Derek, who was surrounded by two people currently taking care of his hair.  
He only briefly glanced at Derek's face through the mirror right in front of him, before a shy smile appeared on his lips and he headed back. Soon there were even more people, most of them he had never before seen or even heard of, all ordering drinks.

Okay, it would be a tough day!

The expression on Derek's face kept replaying in his mind - the way he had looked at the cup, with surprise and a strange warmth, before seeking his eyes in the mirror. He nodded his thanks. Looked entirely natural and calm. 

And he remembered him, Damn it. Was this good or not? 

Stiles delivered another round of scalding hot coffees to the tech team when he witnessed the first shots of Derek and Isaac. They made a nice optical pair, Isaac's blonde curls in stark contrast to Derek's raven hair. The water poured down behind them, creating a neutral, yet interesting backdrop, and both showed off their outfits to the camera. 

Man, this was a sight to behold.

For a moment Stiles actually forgot to work. This looked... beautiful. He grabbed his mobile and zoomed in, taking a picture before he hissed as the water flew over the cup and touched his fingers.  
"Argh, damn...", he cursed silently and put one finger in his mouth before he emptied the glass and began anew.

He could only imagine what it would be like to take photos together with Derek. Posing underneath the water, getting wet, looking sensual. The thought made him blush slightly and wonder why he was even imagining this at all. He was no model, he wasn't sensual at all. He would look ridiculous.

Stiles placed two coffees on the counter which were snatched up quickly. He cursed a bit about the workload, as he wasn't able to watch the shooting like this. But heck, he'd get 350 just for this day. This was a lot. And he was here to work and not to stare, so... The staring was a nice addition, however. He heard Isaac laughing across the sound of the shutter, saw him splattering water onto Derek's face and white shirt. The older werewolf growled, showing his teeth in what had to be a reflexive gesture, but his eyes were warm, almost kind. He seemed amused by it.

It was really nice to see them that relaxed and comfortable around each other. They clearly liked each other. Stiles smiled, before the photographer called out a break, and even more people came to his little spot and he actually had to hurry up and prepare one coffee after the next.

When things calmed down he was surprised to see Derek sitting at one of the tables close to his coffee counter, alone and sipping the rests of his white chocolate drink. He was scrolling through his phone with a small, customary frown on his face, slightly damp hair combed out of his face again. 

He turned his head and caught Stiles looking, which he returned with an amused half-grin. 

"Your drinks are really good."

Stiles' eyes widened at this and he ran a hand through his hair, smiling. "Thanks. I had a good teacher, I suppose. Deaton's drinks are as good, actually. So, you could grab one in the café if you want to. They'll surely be happy about another customer." He laughed at that and reached for a coke, taking a big gulp. "How's the shooting? I can't see much from here, but what I saw looked good."

"It's fun." 

His voice was nice to listen to - low and calm, a complete opposite to Stiles, most of the time. And he was talking to him. Without being forced to. 

Why did it make his heart flutter? 

"You should take a break too. Looks like a lot of work."

"Ah, it is.", Stiles admitted. "But I don't really have a break here. It's just me for the coffee machine and there's hardly a minute when no one wants a coffee. And I can take a break once you're done. Cora said it should be around 5 the latest. That's fine by me." He shrugged and took another sip, closing his eyes for a moment as the cold fluid ran down his throat.

"Too bad I won't be able to see this often after today...", he started, a bit unsure if he should really say this. Derek could answer positively, which would be more than awesome. But he could also just be polite, which would hurt. But well, then he'd know at least... right? "...college starts soon and I won't have time for this. But at least I can see the results in print soon. Oh and in my mobile as Cora seems to love to send me backstage pictures."

"You're not staying?" Derek said, and he sounded... regretful. Almost sad, for a second. Or was this wishful thinking on Stiles' accord? "But I get it. College is a big thing that's going to take up a lot of time. What do you major in?" 

Hold on. Was he actually asking beyond the level of polite, required smalltalk?

"Criminal science", he answered before this though could turn into something really coherent. "But yeah, sorry. This is just my summer break job. But I live here, as you may know, eh you probably know... yeah, you do know. So we'll maybe run into each other anyway?", completely disregarding that they had never really managed to meet so far, apart from random meetings while he was trying to hunt down the beast of the week.

Derek typed something on his phone and finished his coffee before answering, chasing a little bit of cream with the tip of his tongue, and yeah, wow. Stiles' brain short-circuited for a little bit.  
But then he stood up, heading to the counter and placing the cup on the wooden structure. He was catching Stiles' gaze with his own. "I do know. And I still got your number," he added with the hint of a smug smile in his voice. So he didn't toss it away? This alone would be enough to blindside Stiles with the weirdest little hope. His own phone chimed in his pocket as someone called Derek's name.

"Work calls. I'll get back to you in a bit," he said smoothly. "Thanks for the drink, it's been perfect."  
He turned away, heading to the photographer and Isaac, and Stiles stood dumbfounded. Then he remembered his phone, taking it out of his pocket and looking at the screen.... to find a text from an unknown number, reading "now you got mine, too."

Stiles stared at his phone and read the message again and again before the widest smile ever appeared on his lips. He looked up, glanced at Derek who was slowly walking back and gave him a perfect view of that awesome backside.

Why was everything about Derek Hale perfection?

+++++

He had texted him on the same evening, asking him if he'd made it home alright. Derek - unlike Stiles he didn't really use emotes, and his sentences were short and precise. But he seemed... nice, nonetheless. Genuinely interested in Stiles situation, his after-work rituals. And the fact that they had texted back and forth for several hours, well, nobody really had to know. 

Except Scott, who cast him a grin whenever he caught Stiles smiling at his phone. 

But one question remained unanswered - was Derek Hale merely friendly, or was he actually flirting with him? Stiles had no answer to the question that kept lurking at the back of his mind. Sure, he'd been nice, had been fun actually, but he simply didn't know him well enough to say for sure. Some of his answers could have been read that way, but it could also be wishful thinking... 

"Hey, Earth to Stilinski. You good?" Scott said around a chuckle. The rain was splattering against the outside windows, casting the cafe into a deep, gloomy grey on this morning. Aside from a couple of regulars there weren't many guests.

"Uh yeah!"

Stiles put his mobile away, sighing silently as he turned to clean the counter. Derek hadn't answered for a while and even though he tried not to be disappointed by this, he couldn't help but feel a bit sad. Maybe he had used to many emoticons? Maybe he simply found him annoying by now. Who knew?  
"Are you still dreaming about your mysterious model?" Scott said, a little good-natured ribbing between friends. He nudged his shoulder. "Man, he must have gotten you good to make you think of him like, all the time. You're actually daydreaming!"

"I am not!", Stiles said with a huff and then turned to stare at the clock. 2pm. Still some time to go, but with the weather this bad, it probably would be a really slow afternoon.

He was about to take a short break in the back room when the bell jingled and the door opened, letting a man in a hoodie and a grey parka in who looked like he'd been drenched in rain. Despite the gloomy weather he was wearing aviator shades that blocked out most of his face, with the rest of it hidden below his hood. 

But for some reason Stiles froze in his movement. The way the stranger positioned himself, the way he cursed quietly under his breath, it made him think of only one person... and as the man looked up he was pretty certain who it was.

Stiles' eyes widened and his lips perked up in a smile as he approached the counter.  
"A hot white chocolate mocha, Sir?", he asked, in a tone that made Scott raise an eyebrow. The man in the hoodie smiled, suddenly, a bright and somewhat happy expression. 

"The hottest, if you can," he said, taking off his wet sunglasses. Stiles could dive into those eyes...

"I can do very hot...", Stiles mumbled before he turned, a bright blush on his cheeks. He easily prepared the drink, made it really big and placed a white chocolate cookie next to it.

"It's on the house. And I added extra hotness, I hope it's tasteable."

"Oh yeah," the other said, actually nodding and not even remotely looking at the cup of coffee.... but at Stiles.

Scott's eyes went wide, but he kept to the back. Bit down on his grin. Extra hotness. Uh-huh. 

"It's quiet today. I like that."

Stiles scratched the back of his neck, obviously more than embarrassed. "Uh... yeah. Well, the weather's shit, so not many find this one. Lucky for you. You might even go unnoticed. Nice...glasses by the way."  
"Thanks. Not the best choice in this weather to go unnoticed, I guess." Derek winched, actually looking a little embarrased at that. He sipped the coffee, made a quiet, happy sound in the back of his throat, and smiled at him. 

"Divine."

The Barista's heart sped up at this and the smile only grew. "I'm glad. I hope the job went well? I couldn't see much from my position sadly..."

"Yeah, I went quite well," Derek said, leaning against the counter and looking directly at Stiles. Scott wasn't imagining things here; his wolf hearing allowed him to hear the slight way both of their hearts sped up as they looked at one another, talking animatedly across the counter, all people around them quickly forgotten.

Good thing there wasn't a line of customers. Scott sorted through the cups and left them to themselves.  
And they actually talked and talked. Until the bell chimed again and a group of girls rushed in. Stiles stood up straight and frowned a bit, not at all happy about the customers now. But he pointed at them with an apologetic smile. "Hey, say... tomorrow I got Lacrosse training, but after that I don't have any plans yet..."

"Does that mean I could take you out to dinner?" Derek suddenly blurted out, eyes widening as he realized what he had said. He cleared his throat. "I mean, you're going to be hungry after lacrosse I guess, and it's pretty nice to talk more over dinner?"

"U...h... you can definitly take me out to dinner...", Stiles heard himself answer with an almost stutter. His heart did all these little heaps now and he wasn't sure he wasn't dreaming right now. "I'd... yeah. Dinner sounds great. I'll leave the choice to you. And uh, I'll be showered and changed by six, I suppose", he added with a smile.

"The fields at college, right? I can fetch you if you like. And well, I'm not even sure if you don't happen to be a vegetarian, but - how about a steak house?"

He was smiling openly now, and hell - he looked happy. He looked like he had gotten exactly what he wanted.

"Are you kidding?", Stile huffed while crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I love steak!"

"You do?" Derek returned the smile, wide, honest. It was a new sight on him. One Stiles really liked. 

"Then we're on."

And just like that Stiles got a date. Derek slowly walked away while the girls occupied him and before he knew it, the model was gone and he was left with a strange ache that kept him smiling throughout the entire transaction.

Once they were gone, he slowly turned to Scott.

"...oh... my gosh..."

"Oh my god," Scott echoed, this face nearly splitting into a wide smile. "You got a date, man. And what a date. He looked smitten!"

"R...right??"

Stiles reached out and just hugged Scott without restraining himself the least. "And dude, did you see his eyes? He's so handsome! And his voice, right? And he smells divine and goh.. that smile!"

"Stiles, Stiles, calm down!" Scott was laughing, warm and good-natured, rubbing his arms with a smirk.  
"You got something to wear?"

"I... uh... my normal clothes? It's a steak house and I got training earlier and I want him to like me just the way I am. And I am a dorky nerd." A nerd who couldn't stop grinning. "OMG this is my first date ever, Scott!"

"With a freaking model, you go man." 

Scott looked like he wanted to embrace the whole friggin world for Stiles. He'd been through plenty hardships and one-sided infatuations of his best friend, but this? This was a new side. Something that made him happy beyond his own belief. 

"I'm damn happy, man."

The rest of the day totally passed in a blur. The night came and went and before he knew it, Stiles was in the shower, right after the training. It had been intense, but it had actually felt really good.  
Now he finally had something back where all his unspent energy could go to.  
A few minutes later he was dressed in black Jeans, his grey converse, a black t-shirt and on top a red chequered shirt. He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to get some form in it, but gave up after a while. With a sigh on his lips he left the sport field and approached his jeep to throw his Lacrosse gear in and to call Derek that he was ready.

The man picked up on the first ring, like he had been expecting him.

"You ready?" he asked. The sun was out again after yesterday's dreary day, and Stiles could feel the warmth on his skin as he stood next to his jeep. 

"I'm actually just around the corner. Want to meet me here or want me to fetch you?"  
"I better get there with my own car? After all I have to drive back afterwards as well", Stiles suggested as he got into his car and closed the door. "I'm really curious what kind of restaurant this is. I've lived here for a while but I've never heard of it before."

"Yeah, it's probably not the busiest restaurant around. But I quite like it. Okay, I drive ahead then."  
He heard the tires before he could see the car approaching, a sleek, black Camaro that seemed to hug the streets it ran across. It was a beautiful car. 

It had a more beautiful driver. 

Derek waved at him, waiting for him to start his car and led the way through the quiet streets of Beacon Hills. They pulled up to a restaurant with a simple, dark exterior and elegant light fixtures. 

It looked pretty nice. Not too fancy, no, but clean-cut.

Stiles stopped the car and slowly got out, glancing around. He really had never been here before and he secretly hoped that it wouldn't be too expensive. He ran a hair through his still slightly damp hair before he approached Derek.

"That car is... wow!"

"Thank you," he said with a small smile. To Stiles surprise he reached out, taking his hand. Looking at him as if he wanted to ask if this was okay. Then he made a step towards the door, drawing him into the restaurant. The interior was dimly lit and surprisingly quiet, with thick curtains and simple paintings on the walls. 

Nice, really. 

A young woman met them near the door, her eyes widening slightly as she saw the two young men. Derek gave her a little wave. "Table for two, right, Mister Hale?" she said with a little nod of her head. "Welcome. Please follow me."

So Derek was known here? Stile felt a soft and warm twinge in his stomach at the thought of Derek actually taking him to a place he liked. He showed him a spot where he loved to eat and where he felt comfortable.

That was far more than he ever thought he'd get.

But it felt so nice.

Stiles scratched his nose and glanced at their hands, still joined, and his heart began to beat faster. Oh well, he was really so much into this werewolf.  
Derek dragged him along with their joined hands, looking across his shoulder with an almost boyish expression. Like this shared privacy was important for him, too, a little bit of his private life he was already willing and ready to share. They were given a table in a corner, alone and shielded from the eyes. 

"Can I get you a little aperitif while you check the menu?" the waitress said around a smile, fingers curling around the small memo she held.

Stiles blinked as he found himself staring at a menu filled with mostly interesting sounding dishes. But at least the explanation underneath told him exactly what he needed to know.

"Ah, no, thank you.", he told he waitress with a lovely, and at the same time slightly nervous smile.  
He was on a date. A real date. With Derek. In a fancy restaurant. Hell yeah.

The waitress nodded, her expression friendly, and left them to their menues. Stiles could see Derek taking a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing a little as he looked at the other. 

"I hope this doesn't feel too formal to you. The steak's really good, but they're sometimes a bit rigid on the privacy thing. Makes the place look much more stiff than it is, trust me. It's one of the few restaurants I never ran into trouble in."

"Hah, okay."

He showed an honest smile at that.

"Must be hard sometimes to be so popular."

"I don't really like it," Derek replied, quiet, but honestly. "People watch whatever you do. Put meaning into the most random things, like which water you buy. I ran away to New York a couple times, but it's not really better over there, and I ended up missing Beacon Hills." 

He nudged him lightly. "So. Steak?"

Stiles made a bit of a face, feeling almost bad that he had found him through these things as well. He had only found out about him through interviews and photos. He slightly bit his lower lip.

"Say... but I only knew you from magazine and these things as well..."

"Yeah, but you're here now. You're not stalking me with a camera under my window, or getting paid for writing articles about my underwear. Which I am still mad about, I guess." There was something almost tender in Derek's eyes as he looked at Stiles. Something warm and careful. "You're.... interested in who I really am."

Stiles chuckled at that and scratched the back of his neck nervously as he nodded. "But... truth be told. I really loved that article about your underwear, though I'd ditch the light grey boxers. Darker colours look better on you."

"Are you serious?" 

This actually made Derek laugh, swatting his hand gently as he chuckled. It was good to see that these smiles were indeed reaching his eyes. 

"I'll keep it in mind, then. Underwear expert."

"Well, I'm not. Not yet at least!", Stiles mentioned with a wink, still snickering as the waitress came back and asked for their drink. Stiles just chose a coke before he glanced back at the menu, still grinning.  
It was delightfully easy to hold a conversation with Derek. He asked Stiles about his college studies and his interests, his hobbies and his favourite places, all while sipping his water and offering pleasant, interesting answers in return. Soon after they ordered food, and Stiles was more than just pleased by the impressive cut of steak he was delivered not much later. 

Perfectly well done, too. Even though Derek called him a heathen with a little glint in his eye.

It totally didn't matter what Derek called him. Stiles was in heaven. Steak-induced heaven. He tried to eat slowly and as well behaved as he could - after all he wanted to leave a good impression.

"Dude, this was so good. And see, well-done is a master class of its own!"

"I still refuse to believe you," Derek replied, but it was clear that he was simply teasing Stiles. His steak had been decidedly more red in its centre, which hadn't been a surprise, really. Werewolves probably had a thing for blood, although Scott had told Stiles that this was just a prejudice. "But as long as you enjoyed it my job here is done."

"I definitely did!", Stiles exclaimed with a smile. "I wish I could go and eat here with my Dad, at least once a month. But I fear it'll be a bit on the too expensive side for that."

"You can save it for special dates, then." 

There was something almost shy ghosting across his face, a hint of a bashfulness. Like he was touched that Stiles agreed on going out with him to this place. 

"You're pretty great."

"U...h...?" Stiles stopped what he was doing and instead turned to stare at Derek in front of him. "Great? Me? Oh man, you haven't yet seen me drooling on my homework, my endless rambling, me running into the woods to search for dead bodies or go totally nuts over the new Star Wars movie.."

"I would like to, though. Seeing you like that." 

As if listening to his own sudden rambling Derek blinked, a flustered look on his face. "What I mean is - seeing you again. Getting to know you better! Jesus, this is hard," he admitted.

"Is it?" Stiles leaned forward, looking straight into the werewolf's eyes, holding a confidence he didn't even know he possessed at all. "Isn't it actually easy? I like you and I'd like to get to know you better to see if I can like you even more. Or heck, even it not, I'm an awesome friend to have. Just ask Scott. And you like me too, so you'd like to get to know me better. See? Not complicated at all."

"You make it sound easy," Derek admitted after holding his gaze for a while. There was a strange calm between them, a moment that seemed suspended in time, with the sounds of the restaurant around them ebbing before flowing back to them. "And yeah, I'd like that. Hanging out with you. Getting to know you."

"So, we want the same. Isn't this awesome?!", Stiles said with a wide grin."And heck, I never had a date, so I really don't know if it's supposed to feel like this, but... I feel really really nice now. All fuzzy. And I want more of it."

His words made Derek smile, honestly and warm. It made his face look ridiculously pretty on top of everything, and Stiles had to admit it wasn't exactly fair. 

"Me too," he said quietly. "But... never been on a date? Really?"

"Yeah really." Stiles threw up his arms. "Nope never. No one ever wanted me."

"You're kidding me," Derek said, even though his expression said that he believed his words. He leaned back in his chair, dinner between them long finished, table cleared. "Well, I can tell that they're missing out. Wanna get out of here, take a walk? Or stay for dessert?"

"Hm..." Stiles glanced back, then reached for his drink and emptied the rest of it. "Let's go for a walk. Or rather a drive. There's a spot, not that far from your house, there's a stone and a somewhat cliff. But you can see the entire city from there. It looks great at night!"

"The lookout point?" He shot him a surprised grin, but seemed eager. Happy to hear the suggestion. 

"Alright, sounds good to me. You lead the way? I just pay on the way out."

"Ah, nah, let me pay my part." Stiles huffed a bit. He really didn't want to give the impression that he was just doing this for money. And he had earned a lot just recently, anyway. "But man, what a cheesy first date, eh?", he murmured with a laugh. "But we should get some ice-cream on the way. The one near Scott's house got a amazing vanilla!"

"Then you pay the ice-cream, and I pay the dinner. And on the next date you can pay for... whatever we decide on doing. Deal?" He grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair, but waited for him with a genuine expression. Like he didn't want to floor him, but also like he just hadn't offered him a second date already.

"Argh, okay! But you will so regret this!", Stiles said with a grin, put his hoodie on and then got up to join him. "What ice-cream do you even want? Uhm, lemme guess... mango and coconut?"

"You have the unfair advantage of knowing about me from magazines!" Derek said across his shoulder, laughing. He went to the counter and handed over his credit card, signing the receipt with a quick hand before turning back to him. "And yeah."

"Heh", Stiles stuck out his tongue, but never stopped smiling. "You just need to interview me as well, then we'd be even!"

"We can try that once we're up the lookout point," Derek said, face lighting up in a smile. "Or save that for another night..."

Stiles just nodded as he headed outside and breathed in the lovely night air. It was fresh and smelled nice. And on top of that he could share this with Derek. He glanced at him and couldn't hide the smile spreading on his lips, nor did he try to.

"You're really... a great person, you know that? And man, I'm so glad I gave you my number."

"I'm glad you did, too. Really." 

Stiles beamed as he reached out with one hand and wiggled his fingers. Derek looked at them for a bit before he laughed and their fingers intertwined.


End file.
